I-Enceladus, inyanga ye-Saturn eneqhwa, ikhiphe i-phosphorus olwandle olungaphandle komhlaba, okuphawula ukutholwa kokuqala kwalesi sici esibalulekile nesiyivelakancane empilweni njengoba siyiqonda. Futhi Enceladus kungaba a Inyanga yeSaturn ifanele ukuphila njengoba ezinye izifundo zisikisela.
Kulesi sihloko sizokutshela konke okudingeka ukwazi mayelana nenyanga yeSaturn efanelekayo yokuphila nokuthi kungani lokhu kucatshangwa.
Izingxenye ezibalulekile zokuba khona kwempilo
Abacwaningi basikisela ukuthi ulwandle olucashile luka-Enceladus lungase luqukathe ukugxiliswa kwe-phosphorus okungenzeka izikhathi eziyi-100 kunalezo ezitholakala olwandle olwandle, okuthuthukisa ukuvunda komhlabathi weplanethi yethu. Lokhu okutholakele okudabukisayo kukhombisa nokuthi ezinye izindikimba zasezulwini ezineqhwa, kubandakanya i-Europa, Inyanga yesine enkulukazi ye-Jupiter, kanye nenyanga enkulukazi ye-Saturn i-Titan, nayo ingabamba amanzi anothe nge-phosphorus.
NgokukaFrank Postberg, usosayensi wamaplanethi e-Free University yaseBerlin (eJalimane), i-phosphorus iyinto eyivelakancane endaweni yonke phakathi kwezakhi eziyisithupha ezibalulekile ekuphileni (ikhabhoni, i-hydrogen, i-nitrogen, umoya-mpilo, i-phosphorus nesibabule). Ama-Phosphate, ayizinhlanganisela eziqukethe i-phosphorus, adlala indima ebalulekile ezingxenyeni ezibalulekile zokuphila eMhlabeni, okuhlanganisa i-DNA, i-RNA, nolwelwesi lwamangqamuzana.
Izazi zezinkanyezi zase zibonile kakade izingxenye ezinhlanu kweziyisithupha ezibalulekile zolwandle olungaphandle komhlaba, ne-phosphorus okuwukuphela kwento engekho. Nokho, ngo-2004, umkhumbi-mkhathi iCassini waqala umkhankaso wokuhlola iringi ye-E ye-Saturn, eyakhiwa izinhlamvu zeqhwa ezikhishwe ku-Enceladus. Ngokuhlaziywa kwezinhlamvu zeqhwa eziqoqwe i-cosmic analyzer ye-cosmic dust, ososayensi ekugcineni bathola i-phosphorus engenakwenzeka. Lokhu kutholakala okusha kubhalwe ocwaningweni lwakamuva olushicilelwe kujenali ehlonishwayo i-Nature.
Inyanga yeSaturn ifanele ukuphila
Ngobubanzi obungamakhilomitha angaba ngu-500, i-Enceladus, enye yezinyanga ezinkulu ze-Saturn, ingangena kalula ngaphakathi kweNhlonhlo Yase-Iberia. Ngemva kokufika komkhumbi-mkhathi i-Cassini ku-Saturn ngo-2004, Ososayensi ekuqaleni babelindele ukuthi i-Enceladus yayizoba iqhwa eliqinile. Nokho, lokho ababekulindele kwashabalala ngonyaka olandelayo lapho bethola ukuba khona komhwamuko wamanzi nezinhlayiya ezineqhwa eziphuma kugiza phezu kwenyanga, bethola ukuba khona kolwandle olukhulu lwembulunga yonke oluphakathi kwengaphakathi lalo elineqhwa nengaphakathi elinamatshe.
Ocwaningweni lwangaphambilini, u-Postberg, umbhali oholayo, nethimba lakhe bathole ukuthola okuthakazelisayo: ukuba khona okungaba khona kwama-molecule ezinto eziphilayo eziyinkimbinkimbi ngaphakathi kolwandle lwase-Enceladus. Ngokusho kukaCarolyn Porco, usosayensi wezeplanethi nomholi weqembu le-Cassini imaging, obengeyona ingxenye yocwaningo, I-Enceladus iyindawo ekahle kakhulu esimisweni sethu sonozungezilanga ukucinga ukuphila kwangaphandle komhlaba. Kuthathwa njengento elula ukuphenywa, okwenza ithembise kakhulu.
Mhlawumbe, ngokumelene nazo zonke izingqinamba, kukhona ithuba lokuba khona kwama-Martians, noma ngabe mancane ngosayizi.
Izinto ezibalulekile zifanele ukuphila enyangeni yeSaturn
Ukungabi bikho kwe-phosphorus eqhweni lase-Enceladus nezindikimba zasezulwini ezifanayo kwase kubangele ukungabaza ngokuthi kungenzeka zihlale khona. Umbuzo wokuthi lezi zindawo zingakusekela ngempela ukuphila kwakuyindaba engaqinisekiswanga. "Bekunokukhathazeka kwangempela mayelana nokuthi i-phosphorus ingaba yini umkhawulo wokuvela kwempilo," kuchaza u-Postberg.
Ngokuka-Postberg, izinkolelo-mbono zangaphambili mayelana nokuba khona kwama-phosphates olwandle olufihlekile lwase-Enceladus nakwamanye amazwe aneqhwa ayengaphelele. Ukuncibilikisa ama-phosphates emanzini kuyinqubo eyinselele, okwenza ukutholakala kwayo olwandle kube nzima kakhulu.
Ekuqaleni, ucwaningo lwabonisa ukuthi amadwala alezi zindikimba zasemkhathini angase akwazi ukugcina ama-phosphates. Kodwa-ke, ucwaningo lwakamuva luveze ukuthi ama-phosphates angase abe maningi olwandle.
Kusukela ngo-2004 kuya ku-2008, UCassini uhlaziye isamba sezinhlamvu zeqhwa ezingama-345 ezivela kwindandatho ye-E ye-Saturn, futhi ngaphakathi kwalesi sampula, ososayensi bakwazi ukubona ukuba khona kwama- phosphates kweziyisishiyagalolunye zalezi zinhlamvu.
NgokukaPostberg, okwagqama kakhulu ukucaca okumangalisayo nokuba khona okungenakuphikwa kwamasiginesha e-phosphate kudatha. Ukuhlaziywa kwenani elikhulu ledatha kuthathe iminyaka embalwa, kodwa ngokubona kwami, lokhu kutholwa akunakuphikiswa ngempela.
UChris McKay, isazi sezinkanyezi e-NASA Ames Research Centre e-Moffett Field, California, owayengahileleki kulolu cwaningo, uzwakalisa ukumangala ngekhono elimangalisayo lika-Postberg nozakwabo lokuhlukanisa ngempumelelo okusanhlamvu futhi bahlonze isignali ye-phosphorus.
Amafu eVenus abe yindaba yokunakwa kwakamuva ngenxa yesimangalo esiyimpikiswano sokuba khona kwe-phosphine, inhlanganisela eyakhiwe i-phosphorus ne-hydrogen. Nokho, uGabriel Tobie, usosayensi wamaplanethi e-French National Center for Scientific Research, owathi ubengabandakanyekanga ocwaningweni, uthi akukho ngxabano nge-Enceladus. Icacisa ukuthi i-phosphate ne-phosphine yizinhlangano ezihlukene.
NgokukaTobie, ukuba khona kwama-phosphates ku-Enceladus kungachazwa ngaphandle kwesidingo sokusabela okungajwayelekile, kuyilapho ukuba khona kwe-phosphine ku-Venus kubangela incazelo eyinselele kakhulu.
ehlola ekujuleni
U-Postberg uchaza ukuthi ososayensi bakwazile ukulinganisa ukugxila kwe-phosphorus emanzini e-Enceladus ngokusekelwe kumazinga e-phosphate abonwa kubhontshisi oyiqhwa. Ukuthola kwabo kubonise ukuthi ukugxila kwe-phosphorus emanzini ase-Enceladus kwakuphakeme kakhulu, phakathi kuka-100 no-1000 izikhathi ezinkulu, uma kuqhathaniswa nezilwandle zoMhlaba. Ukuhlola kwaselabhorethri okwenziwa ososayensi kwasekela lokhu okungenzeka futhi kwembula ukuthi ulwandle lwase-Enceladus, njengesoda, luqukethe insada ye-carbonates encibilikisiwe. Ngenxa yalokho, lolu lwandle olufana nesoda lunamandla okuncibilikisa ama-phosphate akhona emadwaleni e-Enceladus.
I-Postberg iphakamisa ukuthi izindawo zolwandle ezineqhwa zezinkanyezi ezisezindaweni ezikude zesimiso sethu sonozungezilanga, okuhlanganisa i-Pluto ne-Triton, inyanga enkulu kunazo zonke yase-Neptune, kungenzeka ukuthi iqukethe ama-carbonates. Lokhu kusho ukuthi le mihlaba eneqhwa inamandla okuncibilikisa ama-phosphates avela ekwakhekeni kwamadwala. Ukwengeza, umkhankaso olandelayo we-NASA we-Europa Clipper, ozoqala ngo-2024, inamandla okubona ama-phosphates phakathi kwezinhlayiya eziqandisiwe ezikhishwa inyanga ka-Jupiter.
Nakuba ukutholakala kwama-phosphates ku-Enceladus kuveza amathemba athakazelisayo, imibuzo isalokhu ingaxazululiwe ngenxa yenani elilinganiselwe lezinhlamvu zeqhwa ezihlaziywa ososayensi. U-Tobie uphakamisa ukuthi ukuhlola okwengeziwe kuyadingeka ukuze kutholwe ukuba khona kwalawa ma-phosphate kulo lonke ulwandle lwase-Enceladus noma ukuthi atholakala yini ezindaweni ezithile.
Ngithemba ukuthi ngalolu lwazi ungafunda kabanzi mayelana nenyanga yeSaturn efanelekayo yokuphila nezimo zayo.